3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 11 Win vs. Panthers
The Dallas Cowboys controlled a matchup against a much weaker team for the second straight week.
Dallas outclassed the Carolina Panthers 33-10 to move to 7-3 and take over the top wild-card spot in the NFC.
The Cowboys did not do anything flashy on offense to break away from the NFC South side.
In fact, Dak Prescott spread the ball around in the air more than he usually does. Luke Schoonmaker caught a touchdown and nine players had two receptions.
Dallas ran the game through its defense, as it sacked Bryce Young on seven occasions and scored on a DaRon Bland pick six.
The win confirmed the Cowboys can handle teams below them in the standings, which is something they will have to do again in Week 12 versus the Washington Commanders.
Defense Thrived Against Bryce Young
1 of 3
Dallas had one of its best defensive showings of the season against the worst team in the NFL.
That was the expected result, but it was still good to see the Cowboys play up to their expectations, something the early-season loss to the Arizona Cardinals taught them.
Micah Parsons contributed 2.5 sacks and six other players chipped in with at least half of a sack against the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Bland continued his fantastic season with another pick six, a play that sealed the victory in the third quarter.
Bland's interception return came one play after the offense finished off a 75-yard drive to take a 14-point lead.
The Dallas defense needs to keep up its consistency against bad teams on Thanksgiving so that it can go into a tougher part of its schedule at 8-3 with a chance to win the NFC East.
Dak Prescott Spread the Ball Around More
2 of 3
Prescott's passing box score looks worse than last week's numbers against the New York Giants.
However, Sunday's showing may be more important in the long run for the Cowboys.
Nine players had at least two receptions, Schoonmaker found the end zone and the Cowboys won by 23 points with CeeDee Lamb with just 38 receiving yards.
A week ago, Lamb and Brandin Cooks each eclipsed the 150-yard mark. The two wide outs combined for 70 yards in Week 11.
Dallas will face games in which Prescott has to work with Schoonmaker, Jake Ferguson, Jalen Tolbert and Michael Gallup more.
None of those players had overwhelming stat lines on Sunday, but they all got involved in the passing game, which could pay dividends later in the season.
Cowboys Are Comfortable in Wild Card Race
3 of 3
Dallas' expectation for the rest of the season will be to win the NFC East, or finish as the top wild-card team.
The Cowboys left Week 11 with a one-game advantage over the Seattle Seahawks and a 1.5-game edge above the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card race.
Dallas can expand that gap during its upcoming three-game homestand against Washington, Seattle and Philadelphia.
Wins over the Commanders and Seahawks would give the Cowboys enough cushion in the race for the No. 5 seed.
That would be helpful in case the Cowboys lose to the Eagles in what is shaping up to be a NFC East title game on December 10, or in road clashes with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
At worst, the Cowboys are in line for a playoff matchup with the NFC South winner, which right now is the most enviable matchup for any of the six wild-card teams.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
